One of the UK’s brightest (quite literally) and revolutionary technological developments is Light Fidelity or LiFi. Invented by Professor Harald Haas, LiFi has the power to change how we access and transmit data in offices and home around the world. You can read more about my visit to Prof. Haas’s lab in the University of Edinburgh last year. One of the many highlights was his demo of a LED carrying gigabytes of data and a solar panel which could not only generate power but also receive data.
So why is this important in India? Its economy is growing with an increasing demand for digital services in all parts of India. Much is being driven by mobile telecommunications and developing next generation networks. But the vast majority of India’s population live in rural areas. And connecting them is a key part of Prime Minister’s Digital India programme. So when I saw Prof. Hass’s demos the demand to better understand LiFi’s uses in India would be huge. Imagine an off the shelf solar panel being turned into a data receiver of Li-Fi signals as Hass has done. This could be a huge step for rural communities increasing connectivity as part of Digital India.
Solar panels are just one opportunity. Imagine every LED in a TV or a refrigerator can be used to actually receive and transmit data? Or LED bulbs acting as Wi-Fi Hotspots? How about ordinary torches to transmit and receive data, etc. This certainly moves on the concept of a sailor using a signal lamp (and pulses of light) to communicate through Morse code! In addition to faster transmission it is also very secure.
The big picture? As we move towards 4G and 5G technologies, Prof. Haas feels that LiFi can contribute to the Internet of Things revolution and improve the success of the 5th generation of cellular systems greatly. Last week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Prof Haas also unveiled a LiFi dongle with a size less than a business card. With India at the cusp of a digital revolution, LiFi can be a cost effective solution to expand internet access to the masses.
I believe this technology has the potential to transform the internet landscape radically because of the ease of accessibility and cost effectiveness. In India the term ‘prabodhan’ means enlightenment. From a personal perspective getting to spend time with Haas the innovator on the cusp of such a change was my enlightenment. But I think the bigger prize is helping India achieve its own prabodhan through Li-Fi.